Chad Brown: Ten Days of a Lifetime
You had to wonder just how much better the professional life of trainer Chad Brown could get after the 38-year-old trainer collected his first Eclipse Award as Outstanding Trainer this January at Gulfstream Park. After the last week and a half, we are left still wondering.
The native of Upstate New York has enjoyed ten days of a lifetime, starting with racing's Middle Jewel. Let's take a quick inventory of what the protege of the legendary Bobby Frankel has been able to accomplish since May 20 ...
There's nothing like the first. Brown has already achieved plenty in racing, but there is just something about the Triple Crown. He broke through for his first American classic when Cloud Computing ran down Classic Empire to win the Preakness. You knew Brown would win a classic sooner or later, but defeating a champion with a horse making only his fourth lifetime start was further evidence of his training ability.
In typical understated fashion, Brown talked about his staff and his owners after the race, rather than himself. “It’s really gratifying," said Brown, "for all the hard work everyone puts in here at the barn and to be able to do it for clients like Seth Klarman and Bill Lawrence, who are so loyal, so supportive and so patient,”
One week later, Brown would have his day on the turf. First at Belmont Park, Brown unveiled a three-year-old daughter of Frankel, named Rubilinda. After watching her career debut Saturday in Belmont, it's easy to imagine her as the next superstar of the powerful barn. Giving her superstar sire his first win in the United States, this performance was just about as good as you will see first time out.
"She's really talented and has patient owners that want to let her develop at her own pace. It was worth the wait," said Brown of the future star.
Speaking of worth the wait, a few hours later, the wonderful story of Lady Eli continued to unfold. Now a Grade 1 winner in four consecutive seasons, the marvelous daughter of Divine Park earned her first victory of the year in the Gamely Stakes. In this one, she showed off both the heart and the turn of foot that has made her one of the most popular American horses of the last several years. Considering everything that she went through, Brown and her connections must have been on cloud nine after this one.
After his two fantastic Saturdays, Brown was back at it again today. Memorial Day turned into a four-win afternoon, as the Cornell graduate scored a maiden victory at Monmouth with Little Mizzy, and a trio of stakes wins at Belmont Park.
A dominant force on the big day for New York-breds, Brown first scored in the Mount Vernon stakes with Fourstar Crook. After losing her first three career starts, the streaking daughter of Freud has now won an amazing seven straight races on the grass.
Two races later, Brown unleashed another streaking filly. Kathryn The Wise, who remained perfect in three lifetime starts, scored her third dominant victory. Today it came in her first stakes attempt, winning the $200,000 Critical Eye Stakes by more than eight lengths. It looks like the daughter of Uncle Mo is very capable of testing opening company soon.
"She trains and runs like a horse that can run in open company," remarked Brown "We thought that this was a good race for her developmental wise a stakes race against fellow New York-breds but if she keeps developing and training well you'll definitely see her against open company."
Finally, it was Offering Plan, who earned Brown's third stakes win on the Big Apple Showcase Day card. The Kingston, on the turf, was the deepest field of the day, but the five-year-old son of Spring At Last was not to be denied. Motoring from last early, he powered right on by an experienced field of multiple stakes winners. It's good to be Brown.